Apparatus for playing miniature golf

ABSTRACT

A stand, comprised of a unitary base and upright stem portion, pivotally mounts a gun which has its trigger operatively connected to a golf club also pivotally carried by the stand, and the club is adapted to drive golf balls to the gun&#39;&#39;s point of aim.

United States Patent Henry E. Lippert 130 $.W. Twelfth St., Miami. Fla. 33130 845,309

July 28, 1969 Aug. 10, I971 Inventor App]. No Filed Patented APPARATUS FOR PLAYING MINIATURE GOLF 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

273/87.2 Int. Cl. A63b 71/00 Field of Search 273/77,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,926,980 9/1933 Gorman 273/87.4 2,477,308 7/1949 Malkan 273/129 2,793,037 5/1957 Smith 273/87.2

Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown ABSTRACT: A stand, comprised of a unitary base and upright stem portion, pivotally mounts a gun which has its trigger operatively connected to a golf club also pivotally carried by the stand, and the club is adapted to drive golf balls to the guns point of aim.

PATENTEU Anal 0197:

INVENTOR.

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING MINIATURE GOLF This invention relates to a device for driving golf balls, for use in a game of miniature golf.

The primary purpose of the invention is to simplify the construction of such apparatus, decrease the number of parts, and thus reduce the cost of manufacturing the device.

An important object of the invention is to provide apparatus that can be used effectively by the smaller or younger children. In the various devices of this type, one hand alone is used in aiming and actuating the gun. in the present ball-driving unit, two hands can be used to obtain the purpose of the game, which is to drive golf balls to a desired point. One hand of the player ofthe game can assist in aiming the driving unit, and the other hand of the player can actuate the trigger of the gun. Such an arrangement has been found to be useful by the little children, and it enables them to properly play the game,

It should be understood that a ball-driving device of this type is used in conjunction with a ball-receiving member. Such ball-receiving members can take any one of several forms, the most common being a smooth surface having an aperture simulating a hole of a golf course. The ball-receiving member forms no part of this invention, and for that reason it has not been shown on the drawing, nor described in the specifications.

Referring to the drawing, forming a part hereof:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the invention, with parts broken away for illustrative purposes, and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the invention, also with parts broken away.

In the drawings, a stand 10, made of a unitary piece of material, comprises a base portion 11 and an upright stem portion 12. The base portion 11 is about semicircular in shape, and can be placed on a horizontal surface or carpet. The upright portion 12 of the stand curves inwardly and upwardly from the base portion 11, and in proximity to the vertically extended axis 13 of the base portion 11, as can be seen in FIG. 2.

An imitation gun 14 is pivoted at 15 to the top of stand 10. The gun 14 can swing in a vertical plane, along one side of the upright portion 12. A vertical plane taken through the center of gun 14 passes through the vertically extended axis 13 of the base portion 11.

A club 16 is pivoted at 17 to the stem portion 12 of the stand, and to one side thereof, sothat the club can swing in the same vertical plane as the gun 14. Club 16 extends downwardly from pivot 17 to a point short of a floor 18, and short of the bottom of base portion 11, and upwardly from pivot 17 to the gun 14. The club has a head 19 at its lower end arranged to strike a golf ball.

The center portion of gun 14 has, at its underside, a recess 21 adapted to receive a trigger 22, which trigger is pivoted at 23 to the body of the gun. The upper end of the club extends into the gun recess 21. A spring 25 is connected at 26 to the trigger 22, and is connected at 27 to the top portion 20 of the club. A spring 28 is connected at 29 to the trigger, and is connected at 30 to the body of the gun. This pair of opposing springs, as mounted, always return the trigger 22 to its prestroke position, after the trigger has been pulled and the pressure on the trigger released. These springs, 25 and 28, reset the trigger.

When the device is not in use, and the hand of a player of the game is not gripping the handle 31 of the gun, the normal angle of the gun barrel 32 is maintained in a predetermined position by a leaf spring 33. This spring has its upper end slidably engaging the body of the gun, and its lower end fixed to the stem portion 12 of the stand, by a screw 35. The gun barrel, of course, is used for sighting.

To facilitate moving the entire ball driving apparatus in a horizontal plane, for aiming purposes, a handle 36 is fixed to the stem portion 12 of the stand, slightly below pivot 17, and at the approximate center of gravity of the complete ball-drivin unit.

n order that a golf ball 37 can always be placed in the same location relative to the club head 19, a tee 38 has been provided. This tee 38 is in the form of a bar or rod, and has a concave spherical surface 39, at its forward end, to receive the ball. The rearward end of tee 38 extends through a hole 40 in the base portion 11 of the stand, and has a sliding fit in the hole. After the most desirable location of the ball, with respect to the club, has been determined by practice shots of a player, the tee 38 can be secured in a fixed position by tightening a setscrew 41.

To use this driving unit, a ball 37 is placed on the tee 38 a short distance in front of club head 19. The entire discharge member is adjusted or slightly rotated in a horizontal plane on the floor, by the use of one hand on handle 36, until the gun is pointed toward a ball-receiving member (not shown). Then, with the other hand on the handle 31 of the gun 14, the gun itself is aimed at the ball-receiving member. Now, a pull on the gun trigger 22, by a player of the game, will swing club 16, by means of spring 25, and cause the club head 19 to strike the ball, and drive the ball in the direction of the point of aim of the gun. it should be understood that rotating the stand with one hand, and aiming the gun with the other hand, can be done at the same time.

lclaim:

1. A ball discharge member comprising, a stand having a base portion and an upright stem portion, said stand portions being continuous, one with the other, and said stem portion extending inwardly and upwardly from said base portion, a club pivoted to said stem portion, at one side thereof, and extending downwardly and upwardly from said pivot, said club being mounted to swing in a vertical plane, a simulated gun pivoted to the top of said stem portion, at the same side thereof as said club, and being arranged to swing in the same said vertical plane, said gun having sight means thereon for aligning said member with the point of aim of said gun, said gun also having a trigger, and means operatively connecting said trigger with the upper end of said club.

2. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the-addition of means on said stand, at the approximate center of gravity of the entire discharge member, to facilitate moving the member in a horizontal plane.

3. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of a ball-supporting tee that is adjustable in the base portion of the stand.

4. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means for always returning the gun to its normal position, after the hand of a player has been removed from the gun.

5. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means within the gun to reset the trigger of the gun. 

1. A ball discharge member comprising, a stand having a base portion and an upright stem portion, said stand portions being continuous, one with the other, and said stem portion extending inwardly and upwardly from said base portion, a club pivoted to said stem portion, at one side thereof, and extending downwardly and upwardly from said pivot, said club being mounted to swing in a vertical plane, a simulated gun pivoted to the top of said stem portion, at the same side thereof as said club, and being arranged to swing in the same said vertical plane, said gun having sight means thereon for aligning said member with the point of aim of said gun, said gun also having a trigger, and means operatively connecting said trigger with the upper end of said club.
 2. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means on said stand, at the approximate center of gravity of the entire discharge member, to facilitate moving the member in a horizontal plane.
 3. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of a ball-supporting tee that is adjustable in the base portion of the stand.
 4. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means for always returning the gun to its normal position, after the hand of a player has been removed from the gun.
 5. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means within the gun to reset the trigger of the gun. 